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'We're not safe anymore,' say EMU students living off campus after Demarius Reed homicide

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Eastern Michigan student Adrienne Ayers walks towards her apartment in the University Green apartments Oct. 21. Demarius Reed was shot dead in the building next to hers and Ayers has expressed concerns about off-campus safety.
(Brianne Bowen | The Ann Arbor News)

Correction: This story originally stated this incident took place in the same apartment complex where Demarius Reed was killed. It was the apartment complex next door.

Eastern Michigan University senior Adrienne Ayers has lived at the University Green Apartments for three years, but she's now seriously considering moving, following the recent homicide of EMU football player Demarius Reed and several other crimes within a short time span in the area.

"Moving is definitely an option right now," Ayers said. "What's keeping us here now is the affordability."

Reed was found at 7:15 a.m. Friday shot to death in the hallway of a building in a University Green complex in the 700 block of West Clark Road. Police said his roommate discovered him there.

Interim Police Chief Tony DeGiusti said Tuesday during an EMU forum, six people heard gunshots the night Reed was killed and there was a report of a fight in the parking lot of the University Green apartments.

DeGiusti said one person, and maybe more, walked by his body in the hallway, assuming he was passed out from an "after party" that occurred that night.

The homicide was followed by a string of crimes in the city since late last week. Three EMU students have been assaulted by a group of men near campus and two female student reported being raped by acquaintances in a university residence hall.

The crimes have forced students to rethink living in an area that is highly populated with EMU students.

But for Ayers and other EMU students, affording the costs associated with moving elsewhere is an obstacle.

Students and community members are calling for a joint effort between the university and city to make off-campus living safer. Officials are exploring ways to improve off-campus safety.

EMU experienced another student death about 10 months ago. Journalism major Julia Niswender was found drowned in the bathtub of her apartment in December— the case remains an unsolved homicide investigation.

Eastern Michigan student Adrienne Ayers sits in the living room of her University Green apartment Oct. 21. Demarius Reed was shot dead in the building next to hers and Ayers has expressed concerns about off-campus safety. Brianne Bowen | The Ann Arbor News

Three of Ypsilanti's most recent homicides, including the two involving EMU students, have taken place in apartment complexes, University Green and Peninsular Place Apartments, frequented by students and remain unsolved.

University and city officials met Tuesday at 2 p.m., shortly before the second campus forum, to discuss ways to work together to combat crime.

"The options are being explored by the people that are going to have to do them," said Council Member Pete Murdock. "We can't have police everywhere all the time. We obviously don’t have as many on the street as we would like, but we’re working on that."

EMU junior Bernoris Carter has lived in the University Green Apartments for about a year and said he has began to pay attention to his surroundings more closely following the crime in the area.

"I think most students are having conversations about it," Carter said. "I'm thinking about maybe getting a CCW. I'm an advocate for it and I'm taking a class this weekend just be safe."

Carter, who is from Detroit, said a lot of other EMU students are from urban areas like Flint and consider EMU and the area to be a safe haven from the crime issues they escaped from their home towns.

University Green began increasing the number of security personnel patrolling the apartments and the frequency of patrols.

Three security workers are now patrolling the apartment complex 24 hours a day, and prior to the homicide, fewer security officials patrolled the complex primarily during the evenings.

EMU student Courtney Chaney lives in the University Green Apartments as well and said he's began to take additional precautions such as locking his windows routinely.

Chaney also lived at the Peninsular Place apartments in the past, another location plagued with crime issues, and said he never felt safe there either.

"I really don't know what they( the city) can do to stop it," Chaney said.

Angela Williams, the mother of EMU student Nikayla Williams said she is very worried about her daughter's safety. Williams said Nikayla stays on campus, but she regularly visits friends off campus.

"She is worried and says things are getting crazy there," Williams said. "I'm thinking they could have the police drive around the apartments and around campus more just to show themselves more.

"I want to go there and protect her but we have to depend on the university to provide all the security that they can... .I want her to feel safe to go to class and visit her friends."

University Green ApartmentsBrianne Bowen | The Ann Arbor News

EMU senior Courtney Pace, a recent first time apartment renter, lives in the University Green apartments and said she's on "edge" and concerned about her safety.

"It kind of really has me on edge to even stop outside of my apartment, it's crazy," Pace said. "I just signed my lease, so I'm here for another year before I can move out, but I'm searching for other areas. I kind of want to move away from the EMU area."

Pace, like Ayers, said the affordability of the apartments is what draws EMU students to live in these locations that have crime issues.

"It's so efficient," Pace said. "It's so close to campus and it's within walking distance. It kind of puts us in a dilemma."

Pace's mother and uncle once lived in the Leforge area, and she said they told her at that time, the area was safe, but her friends cautioned her against moving into the area.

"It kind of gave me two different perspectives," Pace said.

Pace said she once felt comfortable walking from campus to her apartment, but she likely won't do that again.

"I used to walk home at 10:30 p.m. at night," Pace said. "I had friends telling me, 'Courtney, you can't walk home,' and I said to myself, 'I need to open my eyes.'"

Pace acknowledged University Green has security personnel in place, but she questioned if that's enough to protect its residents.

"It seems as if now things are worse than ever before," Pace said.

Murdock said the city is working hard to create a solution.

"I think our police, city manager and staff have to put together some of the options," Murdock said. "Certainly all of city council is concerned about what’s going on, all those issues.

DeGiusti and EMU Police Chief Bob Heighes said Tuesday they will meet Wednesday with the sheriff’s office to see what collaborations can take place. EMU police sent the city's department a detective to help with the homicide case Friday morning.

"It’s going to be the police chief and city manager and their counterparts at Eastern that come up with a plan of basically what is to be done," Murdock said. "That’s what I look to happen. We’re anxious in moving forward in that and we’re suggesting anything we can to be helpful."

Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for The Ann Arbor News. Reach her at KatreaseStafford@mlive.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on Twitter.